Instagram Stories get a major update

Instagram has rolled out an update to its Stories, adding Boomerang and Mentions “help you make the story even more fun”. “We are also starting to test links inside some stories,” the company wrote on its blog.

To create a Boomerang, a looping one-second video inside the Instagram, users will have to swipe right to open the Stories camera. There, you can select the Boomerang mode and tap record to create a mini video from a burst of photos that will play forward and backward. It can then be shared to a user’s Story.

Another improvement to the feature is Mentions. You can now tag people in your Stories, but typing @username. The username will be underlined and, when tapped, will take you to the specified user’s profile. If someone mentions you in their story you will receive a notification in Direct.

The links inside the stories are still being tested, as the company mentioned, and are not yet available for all. For the moment, the test lets verified accounts add a link to an outside source. To view the link, you will need to tap “See More” or swipe up.

The latest update is now available for iOS, Android and Windows 10.

Furthermore, following the reports and rumors, Instagram confirmed the other day that it is indeed working on its own live stream feature. It is not clear, when the feature will be introduced or how it will work.